


Pied Piper: A Hamelin Organization Story

by SilverDingo



Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game), Nier Gestalt | Nier
Genre: I swear to God I just made up a conspiracy theorist, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Other, Post-Apocalypse, Pre-Canon, That was completely unintentional, Weird coincidence to what's going on Irl, non-romantic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:06:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23935048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverDingo/pseuds/SilverDingo
Summary: Long before 2B and 9S fended off the machines, and before Nier searched for Yonah, monsters known as The Legion terrorized the world. This is the story about those who fought them off. This is the story of the brave soldiers of the Hamelin Organization and their crusades, and about those brave men and women who tried to stand up against the Legion.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue: Hamelin

_Hamelin Town's in Brunswick,_

_By famous Hanover city;_

_The river Weser, deep and wide,_

_Washes its wall on the southern side;_

_A pleasanter spot you never spied;_

_But, when begins my ditty,_

_Almost five hundred years ago,_

_To see the townsfolk suffer so_

_From vermin, was a pity._

> "Due to recent Legion incursions in Europe, German billionaire Erhard Jentzsch has recently announced plans to form a military IGO dedicated to fighting off Legion influence around the world. Seven governments have currently signed on to the agreement, with more expected to follow over the coming weeks."
> 
> "I am currently standing here in Paris following a Legion attack. As you can see, The GIGN was just barely able to hold off the attack. As of this moment, casualties are unknown, but some estimates say at least twenty-five are confirmed dead, with that number expected to increase as workers continue to dig through rubble."
> 
> "And I-I personally think that this White Chlorination Syndrome is a bunch of hooey. I-It came out of a government lab i-in China, and It's an attempt for the United Nations and China to install a-a Communist one world hegemony and-and to take away our rights and freedoms as Americans."

" _We'll keep you safe._ " That's what they told the people. " _Your militaries aren't doing enough._ " That's what the diplomats and businessmen in their fine silk suits said on television. The constant talks about the organization, the destruction caused as the Legion rampaged through major world cities, the women crying over their dead children in the crumbled ruins of buildings, the aid workers in their masks and orange vests. " _This is for the good of the world._ " were the stories they told. " _This will bring normalcy._ "

Government after government bent their knee and signed the Hanover Accord, sold their souls to the man who promised them safety and security. Countries you wouldn't expect even joined; the fear of The Legion was so large. First Germany, then China, followed by Italy, Israel, Spain, England, South Korea, the United States. Country after country joined the Hanover Accord hoping it would make them safer. World leaders grasping at straws for some semblance of normalcy. No one realized what would happen. We had created a Pied Piper, a siren song for our own doom. The organization promised to remove the rats from Hamelin, but they ended up removing the children as well.

Perhaps too on the nose, the newly formed government organization called themselves the Hamelin Organization. Based in the nearby city of Hanover, Germany, they were funded by a small cabal of venture capitalists and black budgets from world governments. No one blinked. No one thought of the potential cost. They just signed away their freedoms to this group that grabbed their hands and started pushing away from The Legion.

Then the worst of it began. The piper began playing his tune, whispering in the ear of the Burgomaster, telling him what he wanted to hear. They called for soldiers, volunteers from every country under their aegis. Their agents played puppet master and weaved the eligibility testing into schools and offices and houses of worship. This testing was tested on everybody who would step forward, but they found the best results with teenagers. Teenagers responded best to the compounds they found, had the least negative effects with the strongest benefits.

Despite international laws against child soldiers, they started drafting teenagers. Hamelin was handing them rifles, helmets, and magical inoculations of Luciferase, the lab developed compound found to be effective against White Chlorination Syndrome. Special forces from many countries were brought in to train them, teach them to fight an enemy much stronger than they were. They were given handlers, people to report to before and after their missions. It was a spectacle, a grand show of force to see The Legion driven out of areas they occupied, and an effort to see White Chlorination Syndrome defeated forever. 

Hamelin started calling their efforts Crusades, based off what the German military called their efforts to push The Legion out of Europe. The young soldiers took it to heart. Teenagers raised on the internet started painting "Deus Vult" on the sides of their helmets, red crosses on white t-shirts that they wore over their combat dress, several members even started carrying swords. The young soldiers saw it as a game, a real-life Call of Duty.

The Hanover Accord was seen by some as a late response to a widespread problem. A too little, too late as Legion forces were spreading across the world. Others, like Japan, had called into question Hamelin's methods and the power it held over governments, only to be rebuffed by everyone else. They were blinded by the spectacle, deafened by the stories being told of successes, despite the fact that the successes were far outweighed by the losses. 

But the point was moot, and no one would listen. The Hamelin Organization had shown its prowess in its crusades, pushing The Legion out of Poland and retaking San Francisco. They were gaining traction; the soldiers were heroes. Hamelin had begun driving the rats out, and that's all the people saw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally wrote this back in October of 2019, and I SWEAR that the conspiracy theorist was COMPLETELY accidental, and not meant to be a Covid-19 reference.


	2. Stalker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing Arkady Tarkovsky, the first of three protagonists. A young Russian Soldier-turned-mercenary who digs through the ruins of Tokyo in an effort to take technology and catalog the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so late. I got busy with classes, then hit with a huge wave of anxiety, stress, and writer's block. Both the first interlude and the next chapter should come out soon! Thanks for your patience!

_ “The Euro is expected to fall even further over the next few weeks following yet another large fall of the Yuan. The  D ollar currently is holding steady although analysts wonder how long that will last, as the Pound has slowly been regaining its power following the Battle of Glasgow . ” _

_ “Rioters in Zurich have stormed a laboratory believed to have belonged to one of several companies involved in The Gestalt Project. At this moment it is not known if there are any casualties, however, hostages have been taken..." _

_"The United States Military has officially raised the flag over Denver, declaring it the next place from which to base their Westward Campaign. From there, they plan to meet up with the California Ranger Division in Las Vegas..."_

* * *

_The term_ **_Stalker_ ** _is_ _derived from the novel_ _Roadside Picnic_ _and_ _its film adaptation,_ _Stalker_ _._ _Stalkers_ _are individuals who go into the former Shinjuku Exclusion Zone, as well as other High Risk Areas in search of technology and other valuable artifacts that were left behind._ _They also act as tour guides_ _to those who wish to explore the Shinjuku Exclusion Zone_ _. It is a dangerous job with a high mortality rate_ _. While officially illegal, the number of Stalkers has been increased due to their efficiency and the High-Risk High-Reward nature of the work._

_ **October 16, 2019 ,Tokyo** _

Arkady Tarkovsky sat inside the darkened subway car, the only light source coming from the lights in the tunnel outside and a small overhead light from an old advertisement for a dentist, depicting a smiling Japanese girl that flashed on his face. His head was bowed, he carried a rifle over his shoulder along with a backpack, and his hands were covered in gloves and a respirator was on his face. The respirator was somewhat of a formality. He knew it didn’t work against WCS, no one knew what worked against WCS, but it was more for the other things that lurked in the buildings, such as mold and heavy dust. They were headed into the Shinjuku Exclusion Zone, also known as ground zero for White Chlorination Syndrome, an area that had been abandoned for over a decade. The belly of the beast. Arkady took a deep breath, and stood up from his seat, briefly glancing at the dentist ad before turning. 

“Alright, team, gather here, and we'll go over it one more time.” An older man’s voice called out. “Let’s go over the plan.” He unfolded a map in front of him and clicked on a penlight. It was an old map of Tokyo, showing the subway system that ran through the city like a cardiovascular system. “We’ll get off here to turn the power on to the next floor, then we get on the next train before getting off at Shinjuku Station itself.” The older man said, pointing at a station and tracing a path. “Any questions? Because we’re getting off at the next stop. .” 

“No questions here, sir.” Arkady said, giving a nod. “I think I’m all prepped.” 

“Good to hear, Arkady, but I was wondering about our guests here.” The older man chuckled and gestured towards a woman in a WHO HAZMAT suit and a young man carrying a notebook. “A journalist and a doctor seem like they should have questions, no?” He said, raising his eyebrow. 

The two shook their heads. “We’re just here following you.” The journalist said. “Seeing what I can find. Documenting it for the future.” He let out a small chuckle. 

“And I need some samples from ground zero, for research. The WHO wants to analyze mutations and compare it to the original samples, see how WCS has changed since it first came about.” The doctor followed. The train began to slow down, and particles began floating past the windows of the subway train. The group looked towards the window, where several pillars of salt stood, lined up as if positioned carefully. Humanoid figures stood next to them, hunched over in mockeries of the human form, like fucked up statues in a museum. 

“Oh, _Cazzo_ _._ ” the old man said, looking out the window. “We can’t fucking stop here.” He knocked on the plexiglass window that was between them and the ca bin. “Driver, _non possiamo fermarci qui_ . We can NOT stop here.” He hit the window again. “It’s too risky. Go to the next stop.” There was a muted _thump_ as a pillar of salt hit the floor in the next room. The old man growled and turned around to face the trio. “Looks like this is the end of the line.” He said, loading a magazine into his rifle. He pulled a switch, which caused the train to jolt forward. An announcement began to play in Japanese , and then in English. “ _Train now arriving at_ _Tachomae_ _Station_.” The train began to brake, echoing throughout the empty tunnels, and causing several figures that looked like salt to perk their heads up, red eyes shining in the little light that shone throughout the empty station. Imitations of human figures started raising their bowed, weeping heads. Several more sat stock still on benches, frozen in time. 

As the train slowed, the figures began banging on the windows of the subway car, their red eyes glowing and flaring. The smell of salt in the air grew greater, almost smelling like an ocean. The train continued to screech along the rails as it slowed down upon entry into the station. 

Arkady quickly grabbed a crowbar that was tied to his backpack. “Hold on, I’ll try and get us out.” He said as he jammed it between the doors on the side that faced the tracks. The journalist nodded and grabbed Arkady’s back and helped him pull so that the door opened with a metallic creaking sound. They struggled for a second against the wall. 

“ _Cazzo_ !” the old man cursed in Italian again. He began lighting a cigar. “ Arkady , get our guests out of here. I’ll try to distract the _mostri_. If I survive, I will meet you back at camp. If I don’t, well, I will see you at the Pearly Gates.” He took a drag of the cigar. "It's been good, my friend. I wish you luck." 

The gap in the door was finally wide enough. Arkady waved the doctor out first, before he and the journalist jumped out and began to quickly shimmy against the wall of the tunnel so as to avoid being seen. “Avoid the third rail.” He said, gesturing to several sparks in front of them on the wheels of the train. "It'll hurt quite a bit." 

The three of them started the long walk down the tunnel. Arkady lead the group, the rifle in his hands, the flashlight beam bouncing off the stone-gray walls of the metro tunnel. The light caught something reflective and green, a hastily spray-painted kanji above a gas mask. _Shi_. A message that didn’t exactly say “Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here” but it might as well have, given the context. The wind whistled through the tunnel, leaving a lonely cry. Several shrieks and gunshots were heard, carried over by the same wind. Arkady loaded a mag into his rifle, and continued up the tunnel. 

They had a long road ahead. 


	3. Interlude 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A recording of a lecture given by [REDACTED], Professor of Epidemiology at Harvard Medical School during the initial Shinjuku outbreak of White Chlorination Syndrome.

**YoRHa Archive: Excerpt from a Harvard Medical School Lecture, 2007**

[Grainy camera footage of an older professor in front of a projector , students are in semicircular  Stadium-Style seating, looking down ]  We don’t know much  about White Chlorination Syndrome . Last year, a  stud y by Japan’s Ministry of Health believed that  they had found a connection between  those who went berserk  and irregularities  in chromosomes. However, further study revealed that was proven to be false . S cientists are currently researching how it’s transferred between hosts, however, due to it only being found in Shinjuku.

[He gestures to the projector, where a graphic is displayed] What we do know is that at the molecular, it transforms cells into pure Sodium Chloride. This is done through an unknown process, which we believe replaces the water molecules in the cell with salt.   
  
[The professor gestures towards the students] Yes, Jackson, do you have a question?

[An unseen voice] Do we know how quickly  this  process takes ?

[The older male  stares a t the projector, then turns to students] Uh, lab tests have shown anywhere from five minutes to two days . The average time is around four hours. Again, this is just in lab experiments. It is currently unknown how long incubation takes in the field.  Uh, yes, Taylor, what’s your  question?

[A softer voice speak s]  Have they identified a Patient Zero? 

[The professor puts his hand to his ear] Sorry, could you repeat? 

[The voice speaks again, louder this time] Has a Patient Zero been identified? 

[The  olde r male nods] Ah, uh, as far as I know, no. Shinjuku is a bit too dangerous for them to track that. Whoever was first expose d to The Dragon, I suppose. The best guess we can make is that many people were  exposed at the same time due to the population density of the region and the size of both The Dragon and The Giant. 

[The older male turns back to the projector] Thanks to the efforts of the Japanese government, Shinjuku is now a petri dish for research, a microcosm that allows us to research the effects of White Chlorination Syndrome without exposing it to  a wider populace. 

[Another male voice chimes in] Isn’t that inhum ...

[Partial Corruption ... Skipping to next fragment...]

**[Loading... 12%… 36%… 57%… 73%… 99%…]**  
  
[The room is in chaos now, students are turned around in their seats, papers have been thrown. A cacophony of voices is heard, with one voice speaking louder than the others] ... Seen the news footage? You can not keep people trapped in a cage with those fuckin’ things! It’s wrong! There are healthy, innoce\- Listen to me, listen to me, there are innocent, uninfected people in Shinjuku, and you-and your solution is to keep emlocked up like animals with a dominant predatorhuntin’ ‘em? Well yeah, you heard the professor. They don't even know if it's airborne, so there’s a risk of us getting infected too, but I don’t see you calling for us to be locked up. You’ve seen footage of those monsters! The people in there are practically mincemeat! I’m done talkin’ to you! I’m done arguin’ this. I'm done!

[The professor steps forward , shouting and waving his hands ] Everyone sit down _right now!_ I ’m ending class  here . Please come to next class prepared and  calmer. We will be covering the 2002 SARS Outbreak.  Thompson, stay here, we need to talk about hour behavior.

[Footage ends here]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I can get the next actual chapter up soon. These short interludes will give some more background on the situation.


End file.
